Hamhuis the hero as Canucks down Coyotes in OT

Dan Hamhuis scored twice, including the winner with 2:47 left in overtime, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 on Tuesday night.

The Associated Press · March 9, 2011

Dan Hamhuis prides himself on contributing on both ends of the ice.

His final effort Tuesday night gave the Vancouver Canucks a hard-earned win.

Hamhuis scored twice, including the winner 2:13 into overtime, and the Canucks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3.

"There was not much room in the offensive zone," Hamuis said. "When that happens, that opens things up for the defenceman to jump in the play."

Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists, Sami Salo also scored and Daniel Sedin had three assists for the Canucks, who won their third straight.

"The last five or six games or so, there's been a playoff mentality," Salo said. "We've played a lot of desperate teams and the last three games we've been able to find a way to win."

Eric Belanger had a goal and two assists, and Shane Doan and Lauri Korpikoski each scored for the Coyotes, who lost for sixth time in seven games (1-4-2).

The Coyotes were without centre Martin Hanzal, left-wing Ray Whitney and defenceman Derek Morris, all scratched with undisclosed lower-body injuries.

Alexandre Burrows missed a penalty shot awarded 36 seconds into overtime after he was hauled down from behind by Belanger, shooting wide left.

Hamhuis was on target two minutes later, sliding the puck under Ilya Bryzgalov's pads off assists from both Sedins.

"Hank and Danny [Sedin], any time they're circling around the puck, as a defenceman you try to get open for them," Hamhuis said. "I was trying to find a spot to get open."

Belanger and Korpikoski combined to tie it at 3-3 with 43 seconds left in the second period. Belanger flipped a pass from the high slot in front of Korpikoski, who was charging toward the net from the right side. Korpikoski reached the puck just after it touched the ice, chipping it over Roberto Luongo for his first goal since Feb. 25.

"We've got some players who should watch that and see what happens when you go to the net hard," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said.

Belanger gave Phoenix a 1-0 lead 3:27 into the game. The puck bounced off Salo's skate from the right halfboards to Belanger in the low slot, where he fired a shot off the inside of the left post.

Doan made it 2-0 at 10:55 of the first with help from Belanger. Doan carried the puck behind the Canucks net, passed to Belanger at blue line and skated to the top of the left circle for the return pass and a one-time shot that beat Luongo for a power-play goal.

"I thought our defence could have been tighter," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We had to come back and we did."

Vancouver cut the lead in half 17 seconds later when Hamhuis scored on a long rebound from the middle of the right circle.

Henrik Sedin tied it on the power play at 9:14 of the second when the rebound of Ryan Kesler's shot from the right circle dropped into the crease and onto Sedin's stick.

The Canucks took their first lead at 12:17 of the period as Salo fired a shot from the right point off Coyotes defenceman Michal Rozsival in front of the net.